A lonesome night by the lake

by

Adila Hoque

The moon light shone over her jet-black hair and the wind
blew locks of her long hair, making it move in graceful
waves. The glossy hair framed a cherubic face; a face on
which if one laid eyes on he could not evade the
attraction. He remembered her face and smiled. The first
time he had set his looking-for-you eyes on her, he had
been completely spellbound by the innocence in her
glowing face. Her face- it was radiating love, happiness
and joy. A childish sweetness had been the aura of her
personality and yet, intelligence shone in her mature eyes.
He was visualizing her appearance once more.
The silvery light of the moon shimmered on the lake. This
place had been his hide-out for a long time now.It was a
place where he spent his time contemplating about his
loss, mistakes, future.. luck. Luck! His luck had taken a
little warp and that had set his life upside down. He was
no stranger to misfortune. Then why was he shocked? He
had given himself a word not to leave this place until he
straightened up his mind. How could he? She had melted-
and frozen- in every corner of his mind. It was impossible
to stop memories from popping up.
He looked at the ripples in the water twinkling in the light
as he threw small pebbles. Then his gaze moved to see his
own reflection on the water. An ugly face. Wrinkles
around the nose and beneath the eyes. Cracked, shaky
lips. Moist, puffy eyes. He tried to picture her again
beside him, just to feel her presence. He begged himself,
'Just this once. I promise not to remind myself about her
after this,' he told himself.
A fair face. Think, pink lips. Skin on her face glowing as
the moonlight poured all over her. Twinkling black eyes.
She was smiling without a reason. She had absolutely no
demands from Life. Her face was pellucid. Her thoughts
and feelings betrayed her by clawing itself out on her
face. He could smell a sweet fragrance as the wind
caressed strands of her hair about. The picture was so
vivid- so real. It was impossible to think her absence was
chronic- forever making him hollow.
He couldn't say he missed her; it was more extreme than
that. His heart ached for her.
Death. The word now sounded like the name of a
monster. Her death had swallowed his sleep, appetite, and
energy. Ever since she died, he had become completely
lethargic. They knew each other inside out and yet he
couldn't help but marvel at the way they lived- like two
lines curved in a way that was perfect to make a circle.
Her puerile attitude was his air and she, his reason to live.
He thought to himself, no use living.
Without allowing to think of an option, he plunged into
the murky water of the night which was soon going to
become his ultimate death-bed. The water made him cold
to the ribs.
He was now floating.. trying to pour all the weight and
sorrows in his heart, into the water. Then as he thought of
those days, the thought struck him. I haven't felt the flow
of adrenalin in a long time.
He started swimming. His body was not lean, athletic and
lithe like it used to be in those days and he lacked the
energy.. the spark. He swam as fast as he could, awaiting
the adrenalin. No use. Then, abruptly, he stopped in the
middle of the lake, gradually sinking. Darkness would be
his ally in the storm.
He bore her face- her pretty face, all flushed- in his mind
and shut his eyes, smiling to himself. He decided to look
at things from her point of view. It would make it easier
for hi to decide. His decision.. he knew would be unfair
because he had been desperate all his life.
He thought.. she would live and live with a smile till the
last beat of her heart. He opened his eyes slowly and
found out that he was in the water, drowning. The water
was murky and bleak but soft rays of the sun were
beginning to break through. He pushed himself up.
The sun had almost risen. Where did all the time go? he
mused. He stared at the massive sky over his head and
watched as the ominousness of it turned to something
else. One part of the sky was still dark blue but gradually
merging into a paler shade. There's always a bright
morning after the dark night.. when the souls again enter
the dead bodies.. Waking up is how we put it. One day of
sunlight is over. It's the night and I'm waiting for the sun
once more! Bearing this in mind, he got out of the
freezing lake and walked back home with a final hope in
his heart, lurking in him like a bleak light..